Early videogames were simple linear single player games following a set storyline. The gaming experience generally ended after the user has finished playing through the storyline. The value of the game was typically limited to what was provided at the time of distribution. The value of a game is oftentimes measured by the number of hours it takes to complete the single player game, i.e., how long the game can engage the player; similar to a movie's duration. Multiplayer modes of play can extend the gaming experience for the player. Indeed, many games today offer an online multiplayer gaming experience in addition to the single player mode. Multiplayer modes can offer players more playtime since, unlike a single player storyline mode, the player's experience is different with each new opponent. Multiplayer modes can be implemented over the Internet through a network connecting players with other players. While this extends the amount of new and engaging playing time, even multiplayer game modes can become boring and repetitive after time.
Videogames are also not always released in perfect working order and there can often times be bugs that need to be fixed. A bug can be anything that causes the game to not function as it was intend. Bugs are often subtle in that they only occur in very unique situations. Thus, they are difficult to find in the limited testing available prior to distribution. However, fixing bugs generally requires the implementation of an update where users are required to download a large file to fix the bugs. The creation of these large updates and their distribution can be a labor intensive task to game developers. The process is further complicated and made more expensive when it involves games operating over a third party's network that requires authorization and special procedures for implementing an update. Due to the laborious nature of implementing a software update, game developers are often not able to quickly implement bug fix changes Unless it is a major bug or error, game developers will often push off publishing software updates until a significant number of updates are needed. Thus, players must wait longer until a software update is provided for the less critical bugs to be fixed. This can cause frustration among players and diminish from the game experience.
Another important feature of many multiplayer games is the balancing of game features. Multiplayer games often pit players against other players over a network. An important feature for any multiplayer game system is that it must be balanced in view of the various choices of game elements a user may select. Players may choose from a plurality of options and settings for their character or experience to tailor to their play style. For instance, in a fighting game, a player may choose to be a strength based character that sacrifices speed for strength while an opposing player may choose to be an agility based character that sacrifices strength for speed. However the total effectiveness of each character should remain roughly similar, i.e., no one character type should have a significant advantage over the other. The same principles of balancing can apply to the balance of weapons characteristics in shooting games. It is often difficult to determine the appropriate balance of game options before the game has been released and played extensively. Real world play experience allows the game developers to receive feedback from users and analyze a sufficiently large sample of play data. In view of this data, developers often readjust the mix of game options and capabilities. Like the bug fixes above, these tweaks are often implemented via game updates and are often times implemented in conjunction with bug fixes as a single large update. However, as discussed above, the cumbersome process of distributing an update tends to delay the number and frequency of these sorts of changes. This delay in update releases can cause dissatisfaction in players.